Children's Home run by Care 2 Share Ltd in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 1 Registered provider: Care 2 Share Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 6 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 6 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with 4 children.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in September 2017. The deputy manager was covering for the registered manager, who was not working at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/03/2025 Full Good 06/02/2024 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good 10/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 3

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improvement to be good

Children have experienced varying levels of stability and support during their time at the home. At times, staff have struggled to manage children’s behaviours and emotional needs effectively. Consequently, some incidents have escalated to the point of prematurely ending placements before all potential support options could be fully explored. In contrast, other children have benefited from well-planned moves that enabled them to transfer positively to new homes.

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improvement to be good

The environment is not fully reflective of a family home. Some areas appear clinical, such as the downstairs wet room, and the upstairs bathroom has signs of damage. Fire safety and other signage are visible across the home. At times, staff respond to risk in a cautious way. For example, mirrors and coffee are restricted despite limited evidence linking these items to children’s risks. This reduces opportunities for children to experience normal household routines.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are explored effectively. Staff help children understand the benefits of engaging with health services, including therapy. Children attend therapy and routine health appointments. Medication is administered safely.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote children’s education. Despite the short-term nature of the home, staff take responsibility for identifying education that reflects children’s needs and plans. Where children have not yet started education, staff provide daily structure and activities that help them learn and build life skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff build relationships with children. These relationships help children make progress during the time they live at the home. Staff understand children’s histories and adapt their approach to support their wellbeing. Children report positive relationships with each other.

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improvement to be good

Children say they can share their views to influence the support they receive. They participate in meetings about the home and statutory reviews. Children shared examples of decisions that reflected their wishes. This helps children understand their plans and feel involved in decisions about their lives.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments do not consistently reflect the measures staff use to reduce risks to children. This includes risks related to fire-setting, dietary needs and online safety. As a result, it is difficult to review whether these measures remain effective or proportionate. Despite this, staff understand children’s safeguarding risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 4 When children move into the home, managers do not always fully consider the training needs of staff or the location of the home based on a child’s level of need and vulnerability. Risks between children are identified, but it is not clear how they will be addressed during the assessment process. Although risks between children have not affected the dynamics in the home, children’s placements have ended early, as not all risks have been identified during the assessment process.

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improvement to be good

Children can go missing from home for prolonged periods. Staff said that there are not always enough staff available to search local areas while maintaining supervision for other children in the home. Records do not build a clear picture of where children spend their time or who they spend time with. Staff do not routinely follow or search for children in areas they are aware they may visit. When children have been missing repeatedly for extended periods, meetings have not always been arranged with the placing authority to review the strategies used to return children home safely.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are not used consistently. Staff are sometimes reluctant to carry out searches because they are concerned about how children may respond. In one case, items of risk had been in a child’s bedroom for several weeks. During the inspection, staff were made aware that one child’s bedroom smelt strongly of cannabis. However, staff had not carried out a room search or asked the child to hand over the substances. When room searches take place, staff involve children where possible and remove unsafe items.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children understand risks and vulnerabilities. Children are encouraged to undertake online learning that promotes safer decision-making. Staff recognise that children may resist direct challenge and adapt their approach. These conversations help children reflect on risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff apply behaviour support strategies consistently. They reinforce clear boundaries and proportionate consequences. Staff rarely rely on restrictive practices or physical intervention. Instead, they encourage children to make safer choices. However, this approach is not always consistent with other practices in the home, where some environmental restrictions are overly cautious.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are in place. Managers review candidates’ employment history and explore any gaps before appointment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home does not currently have a clear management structure. Children and professionals were not clear who the manager was, although they understood they could raise concerns with the deputy manager. The deputy manager is currently overseeing children’s care. However, overall management oversight is not sufficient to identify shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring systems are in place but are not used consistently to make improvements. For example, independent visitor reports have not been submitted on time, and a Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 5 previous recommendation remains in place. Auditing has not identified gaps in risk management or opportunities for learning. As a result, some weaknesses in practice have continued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Notifications are not always made to Ofsted in line with the home’s statutory responsibilities. Serious incidents and incidents involving the police have not always been reported to the regulator. This limits the regulator’s ability to monitor incidents and identify patterns or themes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Access to records was difficult during the inspection. Children’s files are largely paper- based, although some records are created electronically before being printed. The inspector requested access to electronic records but was unable to obtain it. This limits transparency and makes it difficult for professionals to review information efficiently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from families and professionals is mixed. Some families said they are not always kept informed about significant issues affecting their child. Other families described the care their child receives as ‘amazing’. Professionals report that communication is generally good. One professional commented that the home supports the plan for reunification and provides strong care and support. However, managers do not routinely use other consultation methods, such as surveys, to gather consistent feedback about the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers place children’s best interests at the centre of decision-making. When they disagree with decisions about children’s care, they challenge professionals appropriately. Managers also ensure that children have access to advocacy so they can share their views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision and training. They feel able to discuss their development and professional goals. Staff enjoy working at the home and value the relationships they build with children. Training is monitored, and staff apply their learning in their work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, acknowledge the consequences of children transitioning between services without prior planning and take reasonable steps to avoid this where possible.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, use monitoring systems to identify when all information is not documented in records or notified to the appropriate professionals. 17 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 17 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing, homely, domestic and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. The home must comply with relevant health and safety legislation; however, in doing so, it should seek, as far as possible, to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of all the steps the home is taking and will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children who persistently go missing from home or engage in other risky behaviours, they convene a risk management meeting to develop a strategy for managing risks to the child in consultation with the child’s placing authority. In particular, the strategy should be reviewed when it is not effective in preventing children from going missing from home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.32)  The registered person should ensure that the impact risk assessment considers staff’s skills and training, the location of the home and any other contextual information regarding risks between children before admitting a child to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that any records kept electronically can be easily

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Recommendations

accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view them and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that room searches are carried out when there are reasonable grounds for believing there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or wellbeing. Typically, staff should inform or seek the child’s permission before carrying out these searches. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20) Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 46 The Ridgeway, North Harrow, Harrow HA2 7QN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mehnaaz Chaudhary

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Inspector

Vikki Thwaites, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1264016 10 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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